Blackburn Rovers defender Charlie Mulgrew (14) during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Blackburn Rovers at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton and Hove, England on 1 April 2017. Photo by Bennett Dean.

Blackburn Rovers skipper signs two and a half year contract extension

Blackburn Rovers defender Charlie Mulgrew (14) during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Blackburn Rovers at the American Express Community Stadium, Brighton and Hove, England on 1 April 2017. Photo by Bennett Dean.

Blackburn Rovers captain Charlie Mulgrew has signed a new contract with the Championship side, the club have confirmed. The skipper’s new deal runs through to 2021, with a two and a half year extension agreed.

Scottish defender Charlie Mulgrew was a mainstay in the heart of Tony Mowbray’s defence last season, and won a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year as Rovers won promotion to the Championship.

Since arriving from Scottish Premier League giants Celtic in the summer of 2016, Scotsman Mulgrew has been an influential force in the Rovers side. In their promotion season last year, Mulgrew featured 41 times in the League, scoring 14 goals from the back and picking up five assists.

Mulgrew has helped guide Rovers within touching distance of the Championship Play-Off places in the early stages of this season, despite struggling with a rib injury in the past few weeks.

Blackburn Rovers are looking to build for the long-term under Tony Mowbray, signing up key players to long term contracts and investing in young talents such as Ben Brereton and Adam Armstrong. First team men Darragh Lenihan, Richie Smallwood and Bradley Dack all penned new deals in the summer, and Mulgrew is the latest star man to commit their future to the Ewood Park side.

“It was pretty straight forward, as Rovers is a club I want to be at. I’ve loved every minute of being here, it’s a great club to be at and a club that’s doing well,” Mulgrew told the Rovers club website.

“It feels like a club heading in the right direction. Since the manager has come in we’ve been moving well and the plans for the future are great. I’ll be doing all I can to help move the club forward.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but ever since I walked through the door it’s been a club that I’ve wanted to fight for. After going down I was desperate to help bring the club back.

“Now we want to push on. We have a great changing room, a great manager and great staff. It’s the perfect place to be, so I’m delighted to stay.

“I loved my first year at the club despite relegation and I wanted to move the club forward. Now we can push on and see how far we can go.”